The prestigious Honda Cup will be announced live during the Collegiate Women Sports Awards Show presented by Honda on CBS Sports Network on Monday, June 25, at 6 pm PT/9 pm ET, from the USC Galen Center Founders Room in Los Angeles, Calif.
There will be several media opportunities and events on June 24th and 25th. Please contact the CWSA PR Director AnnMarie Person to obtain credentials.
The Honda Sports Award is presented annually by the CWSA to the top women athletes in 12 NCAA- sanctioned sports and signifies “the best of the best in collegiate athletics”. The 12 honorees were chosen by a vote of administrators from over 1,000 NCAA member schools and among four finalists in each sport and one will win the Honda Cup. The honorees are (*- athletes with asterisk will NOT be in L.A. for events):
Rhamat Alhassan, Volleyball
Florida, Senior, Middle Blocker, Glenarden, Md.
2017 SEC Player of the Year...two-time AVCA first-team All-American...joins Olympian Kelly Murphy (2008-11) as the only other Gator in history to earn a spot on one of the AVCA All-America teams all four years of her career...four-time All-SEC...four-time AVCA All-Region...led the nation in blocks per set (1.70)...one of two Division I players since 2010 to average at least 1.70 blocks per set and hit above .355...tied for the seventh-highest career hitting percentage (.423) in Division I history...US Volleyball National Team member...telecommunications - production major.
Sam Apuzzo, Lacrosse*
Boston College, Junior, Attack, West Babylon, NY
2018 Tewaaraton Award winner...IWLCA Player of the Year...IWLCA DI Attacker of the Year...two-time Tewaaraton nominee...2018 ACC Attacker of the Year...two-time first-team All-ACC...two-time IWLCA first-team All-American...first-team Inside Lacrosse All-American...two-time IWLCA All-Northeast first-team...led team to ACC regular season title and defeated top-ranked MD to advance to NCAA Championship game...led team with 129 points on 88 goals and 41 assists...broker her own single season goal scoring record with 88 goals...posted a team-leading 9 game-winning-goals...set a program record with 163 draw controls on the year...set a single-game school record in draw controls with 17 versus Louisville...ranks third nationally in goals scored (88) and points (129)...major applied psychology and human development major, minor in communications.
Maggie Ewen, Track & Field (MONDAY ONLY)
Arizona State, Senior, St. Francis, Minnesota
2018 NCAA Outdoor Champion in both the shot put and discus...sixth woman in NCAA history to win both events in same meet...2018 NCAA Indoor Champion in shot put...overall a four-time NCAA Champion after winning 2017 Championship in hammer to become only woman in NCAA history with a title in three throwing events...two-time NCAA Outdoor Championship High-Point Award...2018 USTFCCCA Women's West Region Field Athlete of the Year in both Indoor and Outdoor...two-time Bowerman Watch list (Finalist in 2017)...2018 Pac-12 Women's Field Athlete of the Year...two-time Pac-12 Championship Women's Athlete of the Meet...11-time first-team All-American...three-time Pac-12 Women's Field Athlete of the Week...11-time Pac-12 Conference Champion...11-time first-team Pac-12 All-Conference...notched the fourth best throw of all-time to win the indoor shot put...owns seven of the all-time top-10 marks in shot put and five of the top-10 marks in hammer- set this season alone...also set a 10-year-old NCAA record last season in the hammer and set a new record this year...two-time Honda Award nominee...health and wellness major.
Rachel Garcia, Softball
UCLA, RS-Sophomore, Pitcher, Palmdale, Calif.
2018 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year...2018 NFCA Player of the Year...2018 ESPNW National Player of the Year...NFCA first-team All-American...Pac-12 Player of the Year...two-time All-Pac-12 first-team...2018 All-WCWS Tournament Team...two-time NFCA Pitcher of the Week and USA Softball Pitcher of the Week...four-time Pac-12 Pitcher of the Week...NFCA and Pac-12 Player of the Week...leads the Bruins' pitching staff with a 1.31 earned run average, a 29-4 record and 315 strikeouts in 208 innings, while adding a .339 batting average...ranks second on team with 11 HR and 54 RBI...ranked fourth nationally in strikeouts...part of 11 shutouts, including nine solo...limiting opponents to a .143 batting average...2018 USA Softball National Team World Championship roster...history major.
Arianne Hartono, Tennis
Ole Miss, Senior, Meppel, Netherlands
NCAA Singles Champion, first NCAA singles title in women's program history...2018 SEC Player of the Year...2018 ITA Co-Senior Player of the Year...first women's tennis player in program history to win SEC POTY...three-time All-SEC...two-time ITA All-American...finished season ranked No. 2 in ITA...finished season 37-6 to tie for second on all-time single-season wins list...ranks eighth all-time at Ole Miss with 97 career wins...finished year winning 17-straight matches, including 23 wins against ranked opponents...finished 11-2 at No. 1 singles in the SEC...led team to its highest final national ranking (6) since 1999...finished ranked No. 7 in doubles this year and is one of two players in program history to finish in the top 10 in singles and doubles in the same year...three-time ITA Scholar Athlete...four-time SEC Academic honor roll...seven-time Chancellor's honor roll...psychology major.
Jennifer Kupcho, Golf
Wake Forest, Junior, Westminster, Colo.
2017-18 NCAA Individual Champion...shot a 4-under back nine to secure NCAA title with a two-stroke victory...final NCAA round of 71...two-time WGCA first-team All-American...three-time All-ACC...program's first women's NCAA individual title...first wire-to-wire NCAA Champion since 2002...tied course record on day one with a 7-under 65...as 2017 NCAA runner-up, becomes first player to win title after a second-place finish the year before since 1990...shot a school-record round of 64 at NCAA Regionals..tied her own Wake Forest 54-hole scoring record with a 15-under 201 to win the NCAA Tallahassee Regional...four championship wins in 2017-18 and seventh overall...finished the season with a school-record 70.60 scoring average...six top-five finishes in 2017-18...moved to fifth-place in the Golfstat Cup standings (as of 5/22)...two-time Honda Sport Award nominee...named to 2018 USA Curtis Cup team...communication major, education minor.
Ednah Kurgat, Cross Country
University of New Mexico, Sophomore, Eldoret, Kenya
Captured the 2017 NCAA Individual Cross Country Championship title...set a new DI 6K women's championship record by more than eight seconds...captured five wins in all five meets she competed in to finish season undefeated...led team to its second National Championship title in three years and second overall...first woman to win NCAA team and individual title in same year since 2010...three-time USTFCCCA Division I Mountain Region Women's Athlete of the Year in xc and indoor/outdoor track...four-time USTFCCCA first-team All-American...2017 Mountain West Cross Country Female Athlete of the Year and 2017 Mountain West Individual Cross Country Champion and 2018 Mountain West Champion in the 10000m...four-time All-Mountain West...two-time USTFCCCA Cross Country Athlete of the Week...two-time Mountain West Athlete of the Week...community health education major.
Simone Manuel, Swimming & Diving
Stanford, Senior, Sugar Land, Texas
Three-time Honda Award nominee...2017-18 team captain...14-time NCAA Champion, including six national titles at the 2018 NCAA Championship (50, 100 Free; 200, 400 Free Relay; 200, 400 Medley Relay) ...21-time All-American, earning seven All-America titles in 2018...13-time Pac-12 Champion...became the fifth woman to win three NCAA titles in the 100 free winning each year she competed...finished career with six American records, seven NCAA records and seven school records...member of two NCAA Championships (2017, 2018)...member of two Pac-12 Championships (2017, 2018)...two-time Pac-12 All-Academic...CoSIDA first-team Academic All-America...first African-American woman to win an individual Olympic gold medal in swimming...four Olympic medals (2 gold, 2 silver) at 2016 games...communication major.
Christine Peng-Peng Lee, Gymnastics
UCLA, R-Senior, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
2018 Honda Inspiration Award finalist...led team to 2018 NCAA title in a come-from-behind victory...needing to score 9.975 on beam in the final routine, she scored a perfect 10 to secure the victory...also scored a perfect 10 on uneven bars to keep UCLA in the hunt...captured the NCAA individual title on balance beam...2018 AAI Award finalist...scored two perfect 10s in the finals, the second time this season she scored two in one meet...finished season with 7 perfect 10s and ended her career with 10 perfect 10s, third-most in UCLA history...nine-time All-American...2018 Pac-12 beam champion with a perfect 10...2018 Pac-12 Gymnastics Scholar-Athlete of the Year...2018 Pac-12 Tom Hansen Medal Winner...five-time first-team All-Pac-12...four-time Pac-12 All-Academic honoree...set a Pac-12 record with nine career Specialist of the Week awards, including five in 2018...served as honorary Team Captain for Canada at the 2012 Olympics after a knee injury kept her out of competition and kept her from competing her first two years at UCLA...sociology major, minoring in theater and entrepreneurship.
Andi Sullivan, Soccer
Stanford, Senior, Midfielder, Lorton, Va.
2017 MAC Hermann Trophy winner...2018 NWSL Draft No. 1 overall pick...two-time MAC Hermann Trophy finalist...led Stanford to 2017 National Championship title...2017 Senior CLASS Award winner...three-time first-team USC All-American...2017 College Cup All-Tournament team...three-year captain...2017 Pac-12 Midfielder of the Year (2016 Player of the Year)...four-time All-Pac-12 and All-Pacific Region selection...while setting the tempo, scored three goals this season from midfield...posted 20 career goals, 19 assists, eight game-winning goals...three-time Pac-12 All-Academic honorable mention as symbolic systems major...US Women's National Team member...symbolic systems major.
Charlotte Veitner, Field Hockey
University of Connecticut, Senior, Forward, Dusseldorf, Germany
Three-time first-team NFHCA All-American...two-time NFHCA Mideast Player of the Year...three-time All-Mideast first-team...led Huskies to an undefeated 23-0 season and the 2017 NCAA Championship title...2017 NCAA Championship MVP...three-time Big East Offensive Player of the Year...three-time All-Big East first-team...three-time All-Big East Tournament team...led the nation in scoring ranking first in points per game (3.64) and goals per game (1.55)...led team with 80 points and 34 goals...set program's all-time record in goals (120), points (299) and assists (63)...2017-18 American American Conference Female Athlete of the Year...captured four Big East regular season and tournament titles during her tenure...engineering major.
A'ja Wilson, Basketball*
University of South Carolina, Senior, Forward, Hopkins, S.C.
2018 AP Player of the Year...2018 Wade Award and Wooden Award winner...2018 Naismith Women's Player of the Year...inaugural Lisa Leslie Award winner...three-time SEC Player of the Year...two-time SEC Defensive Player of the Year...three-time AP, USBWA, WBCA, ESPN first-team All-American...four-time first-team All-SEC...three-time SEC All-Defensive team...averaged a double-double on the season...averaged career-high 22.6 ppg and 11.8 rpg...scored in double figures 32 times in 33 outings and posted 24 double-doubles...fifth in nation in bpg (3.18)...three-time Honda Award nominee...mass communications major.